LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 






UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



A Short and Complete Explanation 



Farmer Miles' Methods 



ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAflNG 



AFTER TREATMENT 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 



By Karnier NIiles, 

ClnarlestorT., Illinois, \ 
XJ. S. A. ' 



1891. 




>r_. ^ 



^^ 



\.-A 



PRKKACK. 



In boyhood I had a natural fondness for animal 
surgery. My father being a physician, I naturally 
acquired, through him, more or less knowledge in 
that line. I moved from Kentucky to Illinois, where 
I had a large farm and was raising all kind of stock. 
There being no veterinary near, I was compelled 
to frequently use the knife, first for myself, then for 
my neighbors, as in those early frontier days here 
neighbor helped neighbor, and I appeared to be 
the one always called upon to do the surgery, until 
so much practice gave me a reputation second to 
no one living near. Then ridgling horses were 
almost worthless, and my neighbors would some- 
times ask me to "cut or kill them." I always did 
one thing, and sometimes both, but free of charge. 
In thus experimenting, I obtained a reputation 
twenty-five years ago which caused me to stop 
farming and travel most ot the time, in answer to 
calls, over the entire country, from Maine to Cali- 
fornia. I also spent one year on the other side ol 
the Atlantic, in England, Ireland and Scotland, 
where I performed a great many operations in ani- 
mal surgery. 

This little book is intended as an expose of my 
favorite methods, ropes, instruments, etc. I have 
tried to make it plain and truthful, as well as help- 
ful, to all castraters. Trusting it will be a benefit 
to many, 

I am, yours truly. 

Farmer Miles. 



ANIMAL CASTRATION. 



J COMMENCED the castration of stock in 1850, 
1 without books, teacher or theory, not thinking 
then, or for years after, that I would ever leave my 
immediate neigfhborhood on such business, but I now 
think 1 have traveled over more territory, in this 
business, than any four castraters I ever heard ot, 
and I have tried all methods known worth consider- 
ing. I have had the counsel and advice of some of 
the best veterinarians and M. D's at all times. I have 
liked the business more and more, even so much as 
to neglect my farming, and have given all my time 
and attention to it. I got the prize at our Centen- 
nial Exposition at Philadelphia, Sept. 14, 1876, as 
the best castrater of ridgling horses in the U. S. 
A. I do not claim to know it all, "but do claim to 
be in good practice, and to do every operation the 
best I can, which is usually satisfactory to all parties 
concerned. 




First, I like a nose-twitch in horse surgery better 
than ether or chloroform. The best twitch I get 
is made of a spoke out of a buggy wheel, about 
sixteen inches long, and flattened at the small end. 
The loop at the large end of the twitch should be 
of one-half inch cotton or flax rope (flax is best), 
spliced in thirteen inches long, and a large twine 




<Ua/I I 



ANIMAL CASTRATION. 



String, three feet long, should be fastened in the 
middle to the small end of twitch, like the cut. 

I have never seen but three or four horses that 
I could not get the twitch on while standing. The 
twitch loop should be over the left hand ; then gently 
grasp all of the upper lip you can, and, with a slow 
movement, twist the twitch until it binds the nose 
lightly ; then, with both hands on the twitch, turn 
slowly, still tighter, until the colt raises his head 
and winks his eye, then stop and turn the small end 
of the twitch slowly up beside the halter and tie it 
there with the long strings on the small end of the 
twitch in a double bow-knot. Now ask the man 
that is to hold the colt's head while casting him, 
*' Please do not touch the twitch until we are through 
operating on him." 

In common castration of colts and stallions, after 
trying all the different methods known, I have done 
the most natural thing, I think, with my own inven- 
tions. I have made a choice of all other methods 
for my own use, and this little book is intended as 
a full expose and explanation of my present meth- 
ods and practice. To meet a demand for my 
printed methods, my ropes and instruments are 
shown, so as to more fully explain my use of them. 

I will now speak of colt or common castration in 
a general way. First halter the colt with a leather 
head-halter, and, if convenient, have a one-half 
inch rope hitch strap on the halter ; next, half-hitch 
the under jaw with the rope, and push the lips in 
under the rope ; next, put on the nose-twitch, as 
above described. Then nearly every colt will 



ANIMAL CASTRATION. 



11 



Stand still while you put a short hopple on each 
hind ankle, and two on right fore ankle ; then the 




FIFTEEN FEET LONG. 



back rope around the left fore ankle, running 
it through the rings as described in the cut/like a 
thread through four needles, first the lower ring 
on the right front ankle, then through ring on right 
hind ankle, then through the ring on the left hind 
ankle, then through ring at right front ankle above 
the pastern, and draw all up snug on the left side. 
Now ask the two men who are to hold the back 
rope, to be ready to pull when you give the word 
"pull." Then ask the man holding the head, to 
stand at the colt's left shoulder, and with his left 
hand grasp the rope close to the chin of the colt, 
and gently turn the colt's head around to the colt's 
left side, slowly. Then slowly put the halter rope 
around the left fore leg and hold it in his right 
hand. All is now ready to cast the colt on a pile 
of straw, or on some soft ground. The operator 
should now gently pull five pounds on the tail, to 
the left, and say " pull," which will cast the colt on 




12 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 

his right side at your feet, if the operator and 
head-holder both push only a few pounds when the 

word "pull" is given. An 
improvement on this cast is 
EACH SEVEN FEET LONG. ^^ take a Knee rope, nali 
inch cotton, seven feet long, and double it in 
the center and loop it around the right hind 
leg below the hock. After you get the hind feet 
near together then twist the two ends until they 
close together at the left leg, then tie it — in other 
words hopple the colt behind, but be sure and tie the 
knee rope in a bow knot. Do this the last thing be- 
fore casting ; always remember this is the last tie. 
Another addition is to put on a surcingle, and 
instead of the rope from the jaw to and around 
the fore leg, put this halter rope through the 
surcingle rather tight, and have the head-holder 
hold it in his right hand when casting, and still 
hold it tightly even after the colt is down, which 
will hold his nose up and back, preventing much 
struggling. Never allow any man, under any 
circumstances, to hold the head down when cast, 
but in place thereof, hold the nose straight up and 
the withers down by sitting upon the top of the 
shoulders. 

We will now suppose the colt is on his right side, 
at your feet, and the head holder is sitting on his 
withers, pulling the colt's chin back on his side near 
the left shoulder, unless you have used the sur- 
cingle, then the head holder's position should now 
be standing at the withers with his right foot on the 
colt's neck, near the shoulder, and pulling 'on the 



14 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

halter-rope that is half hitched on the colt's chin 
and comes under the surcingle to his right hand, 
enabling the holder to keep the chin up from the 
ground and back near the point of the shoulder. 
In this position, with the twitch on, and half hitch 
in the mouth, nearly every colt will be still. Then 
the operator should gently take the back rope, and 
if all the feet are not together now, pull gently with 
the two men until they are ; then wrap his back rope 
twice around the left hind ankle and hold it with 
a ten pound pull, and walk back around the colt's 
rump, and then draw a fifty pound pull to raise that 
left hind foot up near the stifle, which will partly 
pull the colt upon his back. Now, have one of the 
first two men that pulled, when you first said pull, 
to cast the colt pull the back rope under his rump 
tightly, while you hold the same rope near the foot 
and bearinof the left hind foot down close to the 
stifle. Now ask the other one of the first two 
pullers to gently lift up on the colt's right knee. 
Your pull and his lift should roll the colt nearly on 
his back. Duringf this time have the man that 
pulled the big rope under the rump catch a hitch 
over the colt's right hind foot and draw it down 
tight and again tighten it, still holding the rope, 
so if the colt should struggle he can not get loose 
or hurt any one, in case of a struggle ; and if your 
rope is not as tight as you like it, again place the 
rope that is around the rump forward of each stifle 
and bear down on the left hind foot, and take up 
all slack rope on the other side, then bear the right 
hind foot down again, and tighten your tie ; but 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 15 

remember, do not jerk while tightening the rope, 
or the colt will struggle, for that is horse nature. 
When the rope under the rump is forward of each 
stifle and tight, put a tuck under the rope from 
the foot to the stifle, and half hitch back over the 
riorht hind foot, and he is tied, and should now be 
on his back. To keep him on his back two min- 
utes while you operate, ask two men, one on each 
side, or if four men are present two on each side, 
to stick their left feet, toes foremost, as far under the 
colt as possible, then pull the colt by knee or hock 
only back on their feet, which acts as a chock. No 
one will be hurt though he should struggle. Each 
man should pull to himself, and not push the colt 
away from him over on the other man. My advice 
to all new beginners is to get a colt out on a good 
place, cast and tie him several times. Learn the 
A, B, C of castration before you attempt any sur- 
gery. Almost every man that attempts colt cas- 
tration soon gets conceited and thinks himself an 
expert, when in fact he is liable to do great wrong. 
But let us suppose our colt is now cast skill- 
fully and tied slowly and safely, and held firmly on 
his back by our assistants. If the bag, or scrotum, 
testicles and all are down well, then with elbow for- 
ward between the hind feet grasp one seed at a 
time in the left hand, and with a knife or hook, 
which is my preference, split the bag over the ex- 
treme hind part of the seed one inch long into the 
water, then introduce the hook* No. 1 here 
described — all other blades shut — and push for- 
ward to the point you wish to split to ; then 



16 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

turn the point of hook upward, and with one gen- 
tle pull split the skin and tunic out, and expose the 
testicle. Then do the other the same way, about 
one inch on each side of the septum or raphe three 
inches long. But if the seeds are small and are 
not well down, and are hard 
to grasp with the left hand, 
grasp the sheath two inches 
behind the front end and 
push it forward tightly. Then 
place your hook where you 
want the front end of the 
gash, and slowly pull back 
with your hand raised a lit- 
tle after the hook enters the 
skin, and you will not cut 
deeper than the skin, nor 
cut into large veins just be- 
low, and repeat on the other 
side. Each incision three "^ 
inches long. Now both tes- 
ticles are exposed with tunic 
on. Split the tunic and lift 
the seeds up well, about a 
two pound pull on each seed. 
If you use the ligature, 
which looks well but is the 
most dangerous of all methods, put your small, 
strong twine as high on the cord as you can to be 
below the tunic, and tie by a surgeon's knot as tightly 
as possible. Cut the cord half off if you can in 
the tie, for a slack tie and large string is liable to 



"TlSSj 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 



17 



produce tetanus in a few days' time and loss of the 
colt. But a better way is the old-fashioned clamps 
from five to seven inches long, accord- 
ing to age ; five inches long and one 
inch thick is large enough for yearling 
colts, while a large stallion would re- 
quire clamps seven inches long and 
one and one-half inches thick, of 
sumac or some soft wood, with the 
pith grooved out and the groove 
greased with lard, and the lard 
sprinkled over with powdered cor- 
rosive sublimate, very lightly. These 
clamps should be put on very tight, 
from one to three inches above 
the testicles, according to the length 
and strength of the spermatic cord or 
attachments holding them to the 
horse. I pull up about two pounds 
on the average yearling and three or 
four pounds on the average stallion 
on each seed, so as to get well up on 
the cords, and tie them tightly at both 
ends, then cut the seeds off and let 
up. In one day or less time take the 
clamps off and tear all attachments 
to the cords loose and push them 
up, but the best way, I think, is to 
use no strings, clamps or hot irons, but a good 
ecrasure and the hook knife to get the testicles ex- 
posed, then grasp them both in the left hand at the 
same time through the chain of your ecrasure and 

2 




18 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

lift Up about three pounds on a yearling or six 
pounds on a stallion. Then with the right hand 
adjust your chain several inches up on the bloody 
cord (spermatic cord), but always square across, and 
sometimes over the exposed ends of the tunic, which 
is not wrong if you like, but always, after clos- 
ing the chain over both testicles, and around 
both cords at once, hold now with the ecraseur 
in the right hand. Now, take the bloody cords, 
one at a time, in your left hand and draw them 
one inch or more through the chain, so as to 
shorten them still more. Now see that no skin 
or extra tissue is caught under the chain; then change 
hands by grasping the ecraseur near the front end 
■with the left hand, with the thumb resting firmly 
upon the chain and loop in the ecraseur ; then 
with the right hand quickly take up all slack in 
the chain and tighten it some ; then with the left 
hand grasp the middle of the ecraseur over the han- 
dle to better hold it, as you should ; then grasp the 
gimlet handle in the right hand, and turn until both 
.cords are severed or pulled through the loop, 
which one or both cords are liable to do. But, in case 
they do, only press your left forefinger on the cords 
in front of the ecraseur, then grasp with right 
hand one chain and jerk it on through the cords 
and tissue, which pull through the loop, and all 
will be well. I expect to be criticised by thousands 
of castraters as a common crank, but neverthe- 
less I propose to tell the truth plainly as I can, and 
candidly express my preferences, obtained by thirty 
years of practice. In speaking of the ecraseur I 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 19 

prefer a loose one, liable to pull part of both cords 
through the loop of the ecraseur, or, at least, 
some of the tissue, because when the chain fits 
closely it is harder to cut off with, and will bleed 
more than an old, loose, half worn-out ecraseur 
does. 

If you wish a bloodless operation, pinch both 
cords with your ecraseur chain one-half inch above 
where you intend to crush them both off at one 
time. Pinch half hard enough to sever the cords ; 
then loosen and slip the chain one-half inch nearer 
to the seeds, and crush off. As to turning the 
ecraseur slowly, I never do. I can not see any 
benefit by doing so longer than five seconds on the 
first pinch ; that stops the circulation in the blood- 
vessels inclosed in the chain. A rupture or scrotal 
hernia should always be castrated by the covered 
operation, two or three inches higher than com- 
monly done, with large clamps, put on tightly, and 
left on to fall off within from five to seven days ; 
therefore medicine on the clamps is unnecessary. 
Most all colts that show a rupture while sucking 
will be all right when one year old. Umbilical 
hernia is easily cured by a strong wooden clamp, 
put on tightly while the colt is held on his back; 
no cutting is necessary, only clamp all of the loose 
skin you can, and the end of the umbilical cord in- 
side, and let up ; all will drop off within from five 
to seven days, and will be all right. But ventral 
hernia can not be safely treated in that manner. 
None but veterinarians should attempt to treat 
it, and they will need a sheet of zinc, perforated 



20 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

and riveted to two surcingles, as a level bandage, 
and kept on tightly several weeks after the animal 
has been cut open and sewed together — peritoneum 
to peritoneum and skin to skin. 

Ridgling or Crypterchid Castration. — When 
talking to my pupils 1 class as five different kinds. 
Number 1 is in the tunic and half way down from 
the inguinal ring to the scrotum, and is easily felt 
by an expert castrater while standing. Number 2, 
also, is in the tunic, but is so small, or so high up, 
or both, that they can not be felt, as a rule. Num- 
ber 3 is above the inguinal ring, and most com- 
monly there is no tunic below to be found, yet 
sometimes a contracted tunic is found four or five 
inches long and empty. Number 4, the testicle is 
in the abdomen, yet the courage ball {^Globus 
niinor)., and some water is down in the tunic, as a 
number one rigdling seed, but seems small. Num- 
ber 5 was once a plain No. 3, but is now diseased 
and enlarged to ten or twenty times its natural 
size in the abdomen, with serum, pus, or both. 

To castrate ridglings I think it very important to 
tie them in such a way that the operator will have 
every advantage. I will here try to explain my 
favorite method and practice : As I go through and 
over ten or twelve States each year in answer to 
calls to castrate, I first meet the owners of the 
stock, and next ask to see the stock. I first put 
my hand under and feel the scrotum, so as to de- 
cide for myself, or diagnose each case regardless 
of what I am told, for owners are so often liable to 
forget how it is, and make mistakes. I then ask, 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 



21 



■" Where do you wish the work performed?" If I 
think the place suitable, I take my ropes there and 
get ready, otherwise I select a place, and ask that 
we use it. Any dry place, twelve by sixteen feet, 
is suitable, and five men as assistants are 
enough — a crowd is not desirable, 
neither is it best to have assistants 
change places as holders, as a rule. On 
fresh plowed ground is a good place 
when dry, but in wet weather a barn 
floor is the general place. Then a bed 
of straw or hay is used, seven by ten 
feet, fifteen inches deep, on which 
spread several old blankets to complete 
the bed and hold the straw in its place, 
close to which lead the ridgling, and 
half hitch the halter strap or rope in 
his mouth; then put on your nose twitch 
tightly, and now place him just at the 
edge of the bed, and he will stand there 
until you cast him. Now put on the 
ridgling ropes, |-inch size, and sixty-six 
feet long, looped in the center for a col- 
lar to fit the horse, and put over his 
head the old-fashioned way, then pass 
both ends between all his legs and out- 
ward, cross the same ropes under the 
first as they go back to the collar, on 
each side, as per cut No. 4. 
Next put on your hopples as in cut No. 1, to 
cast him with. The ridgling ropes are only to 
re-tie with after casting, yet can be used some 




^ 



ANIMAL CASTRATION. 



23 



by one man drawing on the right hand ridgUng 
rope, at the word "pull." The operator should 
hold the left ridgling rope in his left hand, and 
when all is ready, as per cut No. 4, should say 
"pull;" he and the head-holder, at that time. 
should push the horse over on the bed. Next the 
operator should draw on the rope in his left hand, 
hard, then put it, where it comes around the hind 
leg, down to the ankle, and hold his left hand rope 
all the time; now withdraw the back rope out ot 
the two first rings on the back rope and free the 
left hind foot from the hopple. The two men pullers 
again take that rope, still holding tightly on the 
back rope which is still on all the other feet, while 
you adjust your big rope so as to let the left hind 
foot back near the stifle. The head-holder should 
now have the chin up and back, near point of the 
horse's shoulder ; one man should be holding ten 
pounds on the big rope on the under side of the 
collar, out forward. Now put you left knee under 
the left hind leg half way from foot to hock, and 
bear it in to the horse, as in cut 5, about even with 
the stifle ; then put your long rope down on it at 
the ankle, and once around ; then draw tightly to 
fit the rope to the ankle close ; then take one-halt 
hitch. Now put your rope over the rump or loin, 
and under the under thigh. Ask some man to draw 
twenty-five pounds on that rope. While he draws, 
you lift the left hind foot with your hand enough to 
tighten, like cut a, up and between the hocks and 
wraparound ankle, and then take two half hitches 
and ask some one to hold five pounds on that 




5 



ANIMAL CASTRATION. 25 

rope, which will keep it from slipping and get- 
ting too long. Now go to the horses' feet, 
remove the back rope from left fore foot by 
slacking the pull of the two first pullers on the left 
fore foot. Now re-tie that foot up tightly by looping 
a knee rope in the middle over that ankle, and 
one end under the leg and one over the arm ; 
tie tightly in a bow knot near the collar. Now have 
the two first pullers who still hold the end of the 
back rope walk around behind the horse to his 
back, and pull hard. One man should now lift on 
the under fore leg, and, the operator assisting, all 
should turn the horse over slowly, then tie the 




right legs just as you did the left legs; then turn 
him up on his back again, place the spreaders in 
between the ankles as in cut 6, and tie them by 
putting the spreader loops over each hind foot, 
then tie around each leg with strings in the 
spreaders. Please cast and tie other horses re- 
peatedly this way before you tackle a ridgling for 
castration — practice the A, B, C of ridgling work. 
Your easiest ridgling to castrate will be the one 
you tie best and hold properly. To get a good tie 
you must first practice to get them in proper posi- 
tion ; also learn to have them held properly after 
they are tied. The operator should keep cool and 



26 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 

go slow, use no bad words, and show no cruelty to 
the poor horse that has not consented to such 
treatment, which he will prove by struggling", un- 
less your nose twitch and half hitch on his jaw con- 
strains him to lie still, and thereby help you to do 
your work quicker and better. We will now sup- 
pose your ridgling is properly tied and held in po- 
sition by three or more assistants, as in cut G, on 
his right side, with chin up and back, and the top 
ridgling rope over your shoulder as you sit down 
flat on the bed or ground, facing the horse, with 
your legs over his tail ; now grasp the sheath in 
your left hand, well forward, and make your incis- 
ion through the skin four inches long, about one 
inch above the septum, or raphe, just where the 
seed should be, if dt^wn properly. Now with the 
two front fingers like glove stretchers, separate the 
tissues up the inguinal canal, but do not gouge into 
the body of the sheath ; go up near the skin. When 
your hand is in the inguinal canal, pointing from 
the incision to the inguinal ring, six or seven inches 
up, according to the size of the horse, your fingers 
should be only one-half an inch below the black 
skin ; now oil your hand well with a tablespoonful 
of the best carbolized olive oil or cosmoline, and 
insert your hand, with the fingers pointed together 
cone-shaped, and rotate your left hand while you 
push upward, about five pounds weight, and slowly 
open the inguinal canal. The rotation of your 
hand will cause the tissues to give way in the 
proper place, until you reach the inguinal ring, 
which is up about eight inches in an eight-hundred- 




6 



28 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

pound horse, and nine inches in a thousand-pound 
horse, and ten inches in a twelve-hundred-pound 
horse, and about twelve inches up in a fifteen-hun- 
dred-pound horse, varying only a little from this, 
according to the fatness of the horse. A number 
one ridgling's seed will be found in the tunic, five 
to six inches up the canal. A number two ridgling's 
seed is eight or ten inches up, yet in the tunic. In 
each case work your finger around the seed, tunic 
and all, and break the adhesion, and gently draw 
it down some, then split the tunic with your hook, 
one inch, and with your two first fingers tear the 
tunic open until the seed slips out, then put on your 
ecraseur and crush off one inch above the seed and 
Globus minor. A number three is above the in- 
guinal ring, floating in the abdomen. My prefer- 
ence in this operation is, first find the inguinal ring, 
and rupture the peritoneum as near the ring as I 
can, a little forward and a little above, with my fore- 
finger nail ; then dilate the opening with thumb 
and fore-finger so as to admit of the first two fin- 
gers, all others shut ; then insert them and feel 
down and back for the vas deferens, which is a little 
cord usually within two inches of the rupture you 
have made, the tenth of an inch in size, but never 
feel for the testicle ; you would not know it if you 
felt it, unless your fingers are very soft and sensi- 
tive to touch. Get some fine sand-paper and scour 
your two first fingers on each hand until they are 
very sensitive to the touch before you commence. 
You need not feel for the bowels ; slip your two 
fingers down between the bowels and pelvis, gently, 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 29 

and wipe up, and generally you will feel this little 
cord, and by that wipe you can generally bring it, 
the vas deferens, up to the rupture, but if you can not 
raise it, then cross your long finger over the first 
finger and grasp it between them. Then withdraw 
your hand until the Globus minor protrudes through 
the rupture. Then with thumb and first finger 
grasp it, and rub it, to make sure that it is the 
Globus minor and the vas deferens inclosed, and 
then gently pull about one pound. If the seed is 
large, as is common on aged ridglings, where one 
has been removed when young, you may have to 
reach back and enlarge your rupture; then, while 
holding the Globus minor with your little finger 
shut around it, with your forefinger feel the 
end of the testicle and assist its delivery, while you 
draw with little finger on the same hand; but some- 
times the cord (the vas deferens) is not to be found so 
near. Then feel deeper, but only with the two fin- 
gers ; aim to feel on the pelvis, behind and under 
the bowels. There is no certain place where you 
can always find the cord. I am speaking of the 
general rule. There are exceptions. When I find 
a case that has no scar or testicle on that side, and 
I try, by cutting in, and can not find an old cord 
below the ring where a seed has been taken from 
previously, and I make my rupture through the 
peritoneum and can not feel the cord on the inside 
at all, I turn the horse over and cut on the other 
side, and find that it has crossed over. Even 
though there is a plain scar on the last-named side, 
or even a testicle there, I go over either, and up 



30 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

through the ring, or near it. I never go through 
the ring, but as near it as I can to keep out of it, 
for if you go through the inguinal ring you put 
your fingers in a pocket formed by the inverted 
tunic, which you can not rupture there, inside, but 
if by mistake you do get into an inverted tunic, 
draw back and rupture the peritoneum one-half 
inch forward and sHghtly above the ring ; do not 
vary much from this point, for if too high, you can 
not reach back and down to the cord ; do not go 
below the ring, or the bowels will follow the seed 
when it comes out ; but from this point you can 
reach it, and the bowels will not come out twice in one 
hundred operations, and if they should chance to 
do so, replace them after you get the seed, so as 
to leave the cord in place in the inguinal canal, and 
then when standing, slip your hand up again, and 
if the bowels are in, then they will remain in, espe- 
cially after micturition. It has been so long since 
I have had the bowels come down, I scarcely think 
of it, but in case they did, I would put them in 
while standing, unless they were down almost to 
the hocks ; then I would cast the horse. Later on 
I will tell you some of my experience. 

We come now to number four, where the tes- 
ticle is in the abdomen, but the Globus minor and 
some water is in the tunic, and when you first find 
it will pronounce it a number two, but when you 
break down the adhesions and grasp the testicle 
and split the tunic, and the water flies out as in 
common castration, you will then see that the 
testicle is too small, and this is only the Globus 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 31 

minor, and you can not pull the seed out through 
the ring, and the contracted tunic above, there- 
fore you had better not try. The better way is to tie 
a string on the Globus minor to gently hold it by, 
then go on up to the inguinal ring, and rupture the 
peritoneum as close to the ring as you can, closer 
than in a number three, and feel for the seed partly 
pulled down in the upper ring. Now get your one 
finger around the seed, then let go of your string, and 
let the Globus minor go up near the ring, through or 
with the tunic on it, while the testicle comes 
through the rupture down outside the tunic ; then 
take it off and draw the string and the Globus 
minor down as at first and take it off. If you take 
the Globus minor off first you will have trouble 
to get the seed ; if you take the Globus minor oft 
and leave the seed still in, the horse will squeal 
and cut up more than a stallion, because the semen 
can not pass out of the seed, for the channel is 
cut off and closed, and it makes the after castra- 
tion more difficult, as there is no cord (vas defer- 
ens), to find and to hold on to, and by which to 
draw the testicle to you. A number five was 
once a plain number three, but is now diseased 
and much enlarged by internal hydrocele ; but 
this is not known at first. You operate as for 
a number three, and find the cord (z^^i- defej^ens)^ 
and then the Globus minor, but the seed will not 
come through the rupture. Now you should oil 
your other hand and remove the contents of the 
rectum ; then insert the hand and arm above the 
elbow, and feel downward with the hand in the 



32 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

rectum ; then jerk on the Globus minor with your 
first hand, and you will plainly feel a large lump 
shake as you jerk. Then ask some assistant to 
get your trocar, and withdraw the spear partly 
and insert the trocar up by the palm of your first 
hand, through the rupture made, and then plunge 
it one inch or more into this lump or tumor, and 
let out about a quart of serum or pus, or both. 
Then the sack, seed and all, will collapse and slip 
out, and most commonly come well down. Now 
put your chain up well over all the diseased 
part and cut off, and all will be as well as though no 
disease had existed. There is yet another kind, 
but so seldom found that we will not call it num- 
ber six. It was once, no doubt, a number five^ 
but has passed into ossification, and can not be 
punctured and let out as a number five can. 
I have offered insurance at ten per cent, on all ridg- 
lings I got the first cut upon, for sixteen years 
past, and never had but one to die while insured, 
and that of the kind last named. I got the seed 
after it had burst, and left some pus and the large 
ossification inside. This horse died in six days, 
and I paid for him. I would remove the ossi- 
fication if I had a similar case again. I never had 
a number six to burst before, and was confused. 
I think that horse could have been saved; still 1 
would rather not insure such cases. 

The next is a double number three ridgling, 
where both testicles remain in the abdomen. 
About one in every eighteen ridglings is a double 
number three, and all are barren, though very am- 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 33 

orous generally. Ridgling stallions seem to be as 
sure as breeders as any horses, but remove the 
seed that is down only and he is a ridtrlinor, and as 
amorous as ever, but always barren. My observa- 
tions lead me to believe that double number three 
ridglings come mostly from mares sired by rigdling' 
stallions, and bred to ridgling stallions, and over 
two-thirds of all ridglings are left handed, that is, 
the hidden seed is on the left side. The most diffi- 
cult ridgling to castrate is one that has been cut 
into several times and the whole hand inserted ; 
then the healing process hardens the tissue and 
closes the natural channel. In such, if bad, cases, I 
prefer to cut on the opposite side regardless of tes- 
ticle or old scar, and cut outside and go up outside 
the tunic close to the old cord, from which the testicle 
was removed, or just over it, up to the inguinal ring,, 
and one inch above, and then rupture the peritoneum. 
and insert the whole hand and part of the arm and 
feel across on the opposite side. I try to find the 
cord, the vas deferens, but would not pass the tes- 
ticle if I found it. In sych a case it would be pref- 
erable to have the horse empty, 1 mean fed no hay 
for one day. Such cases are usually short corded. 
When you get the seed, turn the horse on his back, 
for that makes it easier to remove properly. Now, 
as this cord is liable to draw back into the abdo- 
men, pinch it well, then slip the chain one half inch 
nearer the seed and crush off. A number two ridg- 
ling is the kind to bother operators that are not 
careful. They first feel the horse well when stand- 
ing, and decide it is a number three, as they can 

3 



34 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

feel no seed. They then cast and tie him and 
hurry to show how quickly they can do such a job, 
and do not feel a number two, a small seed, but 
pass by it and find the ring and slightly forward make 
a nice rupture, and feel inside and find the cord, vas 
deferens; but the cord is fast at both ends, and so it is. 
The seed is below the ring and can not be drawn up 
through the ring. This operation is a failure un- 
less he finds the seed below the rupture, as a num- 
ber two. I found three ridglings that cancer must 
liave destroyed one seed in each. I killed the first 
horse and found the vas deferens down too near the 
seed, with an old scar all healed up. The next I 
half castrated only and he remained as quiet as 
any gelding. The third one I found an old horse, 
a number three ridgling stallion, with all the attach- 
ments on the hidden seed, except a scab and sore, 
instead of the testicle. But I have never found a 
ihorse with three testicles, yet I have altered a 
•great many ridglings that I was told had had two 
:seeds taken out of them before I got the last one. 
Mostly all such had been number fours, with the 
Globus minor in the tunic, and that was called a 
seed, but was absent on the seed I got as the third 
one. A few times I have been called to alter a 
horse with one large seed, after two had been re- 
moved, and found it a scirrhus cord as large as a 
seed. If it had been cut off three inches higher it 
would have been all right then, and no scirrhus 
cords would have appeared afterward. I think all 
cases of hydrocele (water seeds) may be avoided 
by cutting high, say three or four inches above the 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 35 

testicles. I think almost all tetanus may be avoided 
in castration by using no clamps or ligatures. I 
think nearly every death may be prevented by 
proper exercise and medicine after castration. I 
never saw a horse I was afraid to castrate at a 
reasonable price and insure him to live for ten per 
cent, on that amount beside my regular fee for that 
class in that locality. Of course my fees are much 
lower at home than a thousand miles away from 
home. 

The best treatment I know of is to drench the 
horse twenty-four hours previous to castration with 
one and one-half pints of raw linseed oil, and soon 
as castrated give him drachm doses of my castrat- 
ing tincture every three hours : 

Tincture of aconite root, one ounce. 
Fluid extract belladonna, one ounce. 

Quinine, one half ounce, rubbed down in one half ounce of 
sulphuric acid. 

Put this all in a pint of water and give twelve 
doses, not remaining up at night. The horse 
should be walked at least two hours daily. Mod- 
erate plowing all day is the best exercise to pre- 
vent stiffness. The oil you use when castrating 
ridglings should be cosmoline or pure olive oil, and 
to one pint add one half ounce of carbolic acid. 
Your hands should be well washed, first with anti- 
septic solutions, one to two-thousandth parts, then 
well oiled with this only ; then insert your hand 
and do your operation with care slowly. 

To follow my former practice, have the incisions 
on ridglings opened well up four or five inches high, 



36 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

just before they are walked morning and evening, so> 
as to let all serum drop out, and thereby prevent 
swelling, as it is called, when in fact it should be 
called neglect to open up the cuts five inches 
high for five days. Stallions and plain colts 
would do better in retaining flesh, and make a 
better recovery if they were opened twice daily for 
five days three inches high, unless you use the 
antiseptic practice, of which I will now speak. I 
used antiseptic tablets of corrosive sublimate, one 
and three quarter grains, and citric acid 87-100 
grains, at a strength of one part to two-thousandth 
(or as per directions on all bottles of antiseptics as 
put up by Parke & Davis, chemists, Detroit, Mich.), 
on my external washings of sheath and scrotum, 
and double that strength in the cuts and all around 
the cords in the groin and tunic, and fill the wound 
with iodoform, and sew up the incision, and try to 
heal all by first intention in any and all castrations, 
and I like it much. I think, with practical applica- 
tion, it must soon become the only way — but, 
reader, I am not a veterinary surgeon nor a drug- 
gist. If you are either one, you ought to know 
more about medicine than I do ; if you are neither, 
get some good veterinary surgeon to more fully in- 
struct and help you. My forte, if I have any, is 
with a set of old ropes, casting and tying stock, and 
trying to cut or spay them, of which I am now try- 
ing to tell you my favorite methods. I castrate 
mules the same as I do horses, but I never saw a 
mule with a testicle in the belly, except one her- 
maphrodite that I altered. I have successfully 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 37 

castrated nine or ten hemaphrodite mares, find- 
ing several just like number two ridglings ; the 
others were as double number three ridglings, ex- 
cept the mammary glands were of the usual size for 
mares, and I cut outside them, and went up to the 
inguinal ring, and ruptured the peritoneum, just as 
on the ridgling horse (the same operation), and I 
never knew one to die. I have cut them from four 
months old up to four years old. 

To castrate a plain bull seems too common to 
speak of. But I prefer to cut off the lower end of 
the sack or bag, as little as will do, and squeeze 
the testicle down and out, tunic and all. Then 
grasp all of one seed with one hand and push up 
with the other, and break the cord oft six, eight or 
ten inches above the seed. I do the other likewise. 
This is the most common method known. Yet some 




prefer to leave the bag on, and split into the seed 
through the tunic on each side. This leaves the 
tunic in the bag to inflame, which I think is bad. I 
have known a few grown bulls to bleed to death 
from castration. In such cases, I think a large 
.string tied around the top of the bag in a bow- 



38 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

knot for two or three hours would be best, and da 
no harm. I have castrated quite a number of 
ridghng bulls, the most of which were double num- 
ber threes, and all were barren. The seeds are 
not attached in a ridgling bull as in the ridgling 
horse, but are fast to the loin. To get them out, 
I have always had to cast the bull and cut in the 
side and spay them the same as a heifer (as per cut 
of cow standing), a little forward of the hip bone, 
and half way down from the back to the belly, 
in the left side. I hold the flank from me with the 
left hand, and place the hook, No. 2 in knife, 
where I wish the lower end of the cut. Bear the 
hook in, and pull up slowly about five inches, cut- 
ting only through the skin and tissue to the red, 
slick beef. Now draw the hinder flap of this cut 
back one inch and then puncture the flesh and per- 
itoneum with blade 4 on knife. Then insert my 
first fingers of both hands and tear the flesh enough 
to admit my left hand. Then oil it with carbolized 
cosmoline and insert it, and feel just behind the 
kidney, and I find the seed easily, unless I have 
overlooked a No. 2 seed high in the groin, and 
very small. To remove it, pull and twist. It 
should break off where the cord is small, five 
or six inches long. The lip covers the rupture, 
and the air is excluded by three or four stitches 
only skin deep. 

You can alter ridgling hogs the same way, 
nicely and safely, if they weigh over two hun- 
dred pounds, but shoats of fifty pounds can be 
cut by using only two fingers in the side ; but 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 39 

decide before you cut in on which side the seed is 
by the testicle or scar behind, and cut on the side 
it is located. On the large hog there is no differ- 
ence about sides, as the whole hand is inserted, and 
either is within easy reach. 

To spay sows, I cut in the same place. On a 
sow of one hundred pounds I cut on the left side^ 
one inch forward of and three inches below the hip 
bone. Just shave the hair off clean, then split 
through the skin and fat, up and down, to the lean 
flesh, and pull the hind lip back, and puncture to 
the bowels back of the cut one-half an inch. Then 
introduce just two fingers on the left hand, and 
bear down in the hog, and wipe back on the loin 
with the fingers to catch the ovary. Then remove 
it, and follow the uterus down one iTorh to the 
junction, then up the other i^efft to the other ovary, 
and remove it, and sew -with two stitches skin deep 
only. 

The way to make hog spaying easy is to get in 
practice, and never forget to bear down constantly 
on the cut with the back of your other fingers, 
which sinks your left front fingers nearer to the 
ovaries, and keeps the bowels in at the same time. 
The hog should lie flat on the ground on its right 
side, with two men holding each foot in a hand, and 
stretching lengthwise, with the mouth open. This 
is the preferred position by experts, who spay thirty 
hogs per hour all day. My dislike for hog music, 
which is so abundant in spaying, has prevented my 
doing it for pay at the usual price of ten cents each, 
but I would use a bench if I spayed hogs. 

1 do like, however, the work of spaying cattle. 



40 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

Yearlings are the most common ages ; but all 
ages are spayed, A spaying chute is the best 
way, for then they are held still while standing ; 
but for general practice the ropes are most avail- 
able and convenient. Let us suppose we have a 
lot of fifty cattle to spay to-day, mostly yearlings, 
and have five men as helpers, and have choice of a 
largfe lot of one acre, or a small lot of fifteen feet 
by thirty feet, or a barn floor. If the weather is 
fair, the small lot will be best ; if rainy, the barn 
is preferable — the acre lot is too large for conven- 
ience. Now, all ready in the small lot, the catcher 
should be a plucky fellow, and catch the first year- 
ling near him with his left hand under the chin, 
and his fingers in the right side of the mouth, his 
right hand on the left horn ; then turn the calf's 
nose up and back on the left side tightly, and hold 
it so one minute, when the calf will fall over on its 
riofht side. Rather than have its neck broken in 
this twist, when the calf falls the holder also should 
go down on its shoulder and still hold the nose up 
and around on its side. Now put the back rope, 
looped, around the right fore-foot, and a short 
hopple around the right hind-foot and left fore- 
foot ; then thread the back rope through these 
hopple-rings as above named, and have one man 
to hold them tightly. Now put a knee rope upon 
the left hind foot, and have one man to hold it 
down and back tightly. She is now in position. 
Now clip the hair off where you wish the cut, and 
brush off cleanly all particles of dirt and hair, and 
wash with antiseptic solution, strength, one to four- 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 41 

thousandth part. Then make your incision about 
five inches long, through the skin and tissue, down 
to the red beef, one inch forward of the hip-bone, 
and about the middle of the heifer from back to 
belly. I like the hook No. 2 best in this opera- 
tion, and use it entirely in all my spaying; but if 
you have something better to make the incision, 
use it ; then draw the hinder lips of the incision 
back one inch and puncture through the flesh 
there ; then insert your two front fingers surely 
through the peritoneum ; then tear the beef by 
pulling with one hand and pushing with the other 
hand, until your left hand will slip in easily when 
oiled with cosmoline, and feel on each side of the 

back-bone just behind the kidneys for the ovaries 

in yearlings, lumps about the size of sparrow eggs, 
in cows, four times larger— hanging from two to 
four inches below the loins if standing, but when 
■cast, may rest against the loins. If you do not 
understand the anatomy of the parts, go to a 
slaughter-house and examine them well. 

To remove the ovaries, I first find them with my 
left hand and shut my hand on the ovary. I then 




put my long curved spaying scissors, points down- 
ward, on my arm, and push down my arm to my 
hand. Then in my hand I epAn the points of the 
scissors, and clip the ovary off while under my 
flexed fingers, with no danger of nipping a bowel. 



42 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

I like dull flesh scissors next to the ecrasure tO' 
crush off with, and much more convenient inter- 
nally. When both ovaries are removed, I sew up 




the skin only with this long needle, after bathing 
the parts internally and externally with the anti- 
sceptic solution, one part to two thousand. 

Vaginal spaying of cows is the preferable way, 
but it is seldom that our cattle are large enough, 
and it is rarely done. What little spaying I have 
done on cows and mares per vagina has been done 
with rude instruments of my own — a spear eighteen 
inches long, with a hook half an inch behind the 
point to cut back with, and surgeons' curved 
scissors twenty-two inches long. 



EIGHTEEN INCHES LONG. 



I first insert my left hand in the vagina, then the 
front finger into the os uteri, and bear down and 
forward, and puncture the vagina two inches be- 
hind the OS uteri, above; then draw on the hook 
upon the end of the spear to split the vagina about 
two inches. I then remove the spear, and with my 
left hand enlarge the opening, and pass my hand 
on in the abdomen and grasp the ovaries, one at a 
time, and nip them off with the dull points of the 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 43^ 

long curved scissors, cows and mares both alike. 
No after treatment is used. 

When I spay mares in the side, I cut as on a 
cow. I dress with antiseptic solution and give cas- 
trating tincture, as to a ridgling, to keep down 
peritonitis ; but one in six die, and I think the rea- 
son for it is that they are not in good health, the 
ovaries are diseased and inflamed at the time; one 
or both. 

To spay a bitch of any size or age, I first tie a 
strong string, three feet long, with the middle of 
the string over the nose and the first knot under 
the chin, then up behind the ears, and tie tightly 
on the top of the neck, near the head, in a bow- 
knot ; then with a string or rope, according to the 
size of the dog, loop one end above each hock. 
Now hang the pup or bitch up so that the two hind 
teats, when hung up, would be nearly as high 
as your shoulders — about three inches below. 
Next loop the ends of another string four feet long 
around each front leg. These you can slip up or 
down on the front legs to suit you afterward. Now 
have the collar rope fastened below on the wall on 
a nail or ring, to hold the head down, and one man 
to attend the head and keep the collar 4'rom 
choking the dog, and one man near to hold 
the tail from switching around. Now put your 
left leg over the string, as in cut of dog, hold- 
ing the front legs, and adjust it. With your left 
leg back a little, you hold the dog's back away from 
the wall and its belly facing you properly. All is 
now ready. Now make your incision on the median 



ANIMAL CASTRATION. 45- 

line from between the two hind teats, to or a Httle 
below the next two teats, into the bowels. Now 
look for either horn of the uterus. In a six weeks' 
old pup it is not larger than a large sewing thread ; 
in a six months' old pup it is about one-sixteenth 
of an inch, and in an aged dog one-quarter of an 
inch, if she is not in pup. Now, with both fore- 
fingers pointed together as a pair of forceps, and 
all other fingers shut, insert the two fore-fingers, 
and with the back of the closed fingers push. And 
hold the bowels inside while you are looking for the 
uterus, which is always near the loin behind the 
bladder, as the dog hangs up, and will soon turn 
red, if not found at once in pups, which makes it 
easy to distinguish as a little red cord. Then with 
your forcep fingers secure and hold it. Then hold 
It m left hand, and never pull up more than one 
pound on a pup six weeks old, nor two on a 
pup six months old, or you are liable to break 
the uterus off at the ovary, but hold just so 
you can slip the right fore-finger down the uterus to 
find the ovary, which is as small as a pea, and fast 
to the loin, and in a sack. Tear the ovary loose 
and up with the right finger nail. Then the uterus 
is strong enough to lift the ovary up to the open- 
mg. Now put your artery forceps on, and pinch 
all attachments half an inch from the ovary, and cut 
the ovary off with small curved scissors, and leave 
forceps on, holding all hemorrhage shut off, until 
you need them on the other ovary, and pinch it the 
same way until you clip the other ovary off with 
your scissors. Be sure to get it all, and one-half /ucX A 
the uterus besides. / 



■46 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

I like to sew up with the uninterrupted suture, 
and commence at the lower end and secure the 
peritoneum as well as the skin, and adjust the 
stitches before you fasten the top stitches. If the 
bitch is pregnant, I think she can be spayed safely 
and with less trouble. Instead of the trouble as in 
finding the pup's uterus, you find, with no delay, 
uterus, pups and all, and draw them all out and 
detach the ovaries with your finger-nail from below, 
and a two pound pull up on the other hand, until 
all are outside, and loose on both sides; then 
ligate all fatty attachments with the vagina, one 
inch above the mouth of the uterus, tightly, and 
cut off and take out the whole uterus, pups, 
ovaries, and all attachments. I find they do well 
in recovering. I have lost two bitches by my neg- 
lect to sew up tightly enough, and the bowels came 
out- the next day, I think it much better to have 
them empty of food* 

I secure and spay cats the same as pups, only 
they are much easier to spay; but it is well to keep 
one eye on their claws while so doing. 

I think the antiseptic solution is beneficial on all 
such surgery at the strength of one to two-thou- 
sandth part, mostly used upon your hands, but 
some in and on the wounds. 

I think the stitches should be removed the sec- 
ond day on cats and dogs. 



AND AFTER TREATMENT, 47 

CAPONIZING CHICKENS. 

The most perplexing castration 1 find is the 
caponizing of chickens. I have removed, as I sup- 
posed, two testicles each from young chickens, and 
found them when grown and fat, each one to have 
from one to three testicles remaining in him. These 
we call slips, and they will crow and have red combs, 
but will never sell as first-class. 

They chase the hens, but do not fertilize the eggs. 
In caponizing, to avoid making some slips, it re- 
quires great care, and a fair chance, small birds ot 
one or two pounds weight, well emptied, a clear 
day, the sun up high, and the work well done with 
convenient instruments through a large incision be- 
tween the two last ribs on the right side. First, it 
the chicken has had no food for thirty hours, you 
will have him in condition ; next, have a small table 
two by three feet, and two large strings each three 
feet long. Fasten a half brick to one end of each 
string. Now tie one string around his legs and 
drop the brick over the right end of the table ; then 
the other string tie around the wings, close to the 
back, and drop the other brick over the left end of 
the table. He is now tied, and on his left side. 
Next pick the feathers off over the last rib to the 
hip bone. Now wet the feathers all around this 
naked place with very cold water, which numbs the 
feeling ; the wet feathers will push back and stay 
out of the way better. Now put your fore-finger 
-on the hip bone and across the flank to the first 
rib. Then stick your knife in a half-inch deep 



48 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

there, between the first two ribs, and cut down and 
forward to the lower end of the ribs, then turn your 
knife and cut up between these first two ribs to 
near the backbone. -^^aiMi^^ 




KNIFE. 




GBIPPERS. SPKEADERS. 

Now put in the spreaders and open the ribs. 
Next spHt the diaphragm which hides the bowels 
from you, now turn your table so the sunlight will 
shine inside on the testicles, and all will be seen 
plainly. Now take the grippers, and with the open 
ring up, slip under the lower testicle, and gently 
wipe up from under the lower seed first, which will 
draw it toward you somewhat. Now stop and open 
the gripper's mouth by spreading your fingers while 
you hold still as you possibly can, under the seed • 
when the grippers open, the seed will drop below 
the ring on the lower jaw ; then shut them, and now 
turn the gripper over several times to twist the 
tunic, then draw out and try to get all the seed and 
the tunic (covering). The top seed is much easier 
to get, but it is better to leave it until the last ; 
use it as a guide to get the lower seed first. Now 
replace the wet feathers properly and let him go 
without sewing up, as the ribs close the opening. 
If you have no caponizing instruments, split be- 
tween the ribs with any knife, and take two wires 
a foot long, bend a hook on one end of each and 
have a boy hold the ribs apart as wide as you like 
them, while you work. Next have a small ecraseur 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 49 

of your own make out of a goose quill. Cut off 
the lower point and cut a hole in the side, get out 
the pith and insert both ends of a long coarse 
horse-hair from below, and leave a loop at the 
lower end like the cut. Through the hole in 
the side put this loop of hair over the seed, then 
tighten it by lifting on both ends of the hair, and 
pull all out while you push down to keep it tight. 




QUILL AND HORSE-HAIR. 



and pull seed,, tunic, and all out clean, and you 
will have no slips. This will work on small chickens, 
but can not be used on three or four pound young 
cockerels. 

You may ask what is the good to castrate so 
small a thing as a chicken of one or two pounds 
weight. I think no other castration pays so well, 
both in the increase in size in one year and the in- 
crease in the quality of the flesh. Grown roosters 
(or cocks), especially old ones, sell at the lowest 
price per pound of any meat, while his brother, ife 
properly caponized when young, is the highest 
priced meat per pound in New York market any 
February. If for home use, you will find him both' 
very large and fat, and tender as a broiler, a deli- 
cacy that rich men enjoy when they can get them,, 
even at twenty-five and thirty cents per pound. 

Every farmer may make capons and eat the best 
meat the country affords at less cost and trouble 
than old roosters have been to him. Castrate pigs 



50 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

and calves and feed them until grown, then fatten 
them and sell them at six cents per pound, when 
you can castrate the chickens, raise and fatten them 
to weigh twelve pounds or more, and sell them at 
twenty-five cents per pound. Why this difference 
in price? Only because they are the best. Then 
why not have the best, when so easily obtained 
out of our laree breeds of chickens? ' I have about 
forty white Brahma capons now fat and fine. 
Come and dine with me any day in the spring sea- 
son and you will get the best I have. Come, and 
welcome. I never was pig enough to want all the 
good things myself. 

MY MISTAKES THROUGH IGNORANCE. 

I was called to spay twenty cattle, and alter one 
colt, at a certain town. I did the work nicely, as 
I thought. The seventeenth subject, a two year 
old heifer, was so hot that I then remarked, " She 
was boiling hot inside;" but I proceeded with my 
work without washing my hands or instruments, or 
using any antiseptics, and spayed three more and 
altered the colt. Within a week the heifer I men- 
tioned, the three operated upon after, also the colt, 
all died. I now think ignorance on my part cost 
the lives of these three well cattle and the colt. 

Again, I was called to alter five ridglings and one 
stallion at Dr. Wm. Sheppard's, M. R. C. and C, 
of Ottawa, 111. I was, while there, presented with 
a fine gold-headed cane by twenty veterinarians. 
The work was nicely done, as all pronounced it, 
and so I thought. However, all died but one 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 51 

horse, and he had a bad time of it because the 
first one was a double number three ridgling, and 
was sick. I noticed it, and said he was very hot 
inside, but did not think to wash my hands, or 
know how to use antiseptics, which I shall never 
fail to do hereafter. Still, I have done hundreds 
not so smoothly, that seemed to do extra well. 
My advice to all surgeons is to use your thermom- 
eter per rectum, and if the temperature is above 
one hundred and one degrees, defer your opera- 
tion and give some sort of physic and come again. 
When you do operate, have clean hands and in- 
struments, for your own credit and your patron's 
good. 

But I now remember a different result on sick 
horses. At Hartford, Ky., I altered three ridglings 
in an old shed in a heavy and protracted rain, five 
miles from the railroad. When done, one owner 
said, " My colt has the distemper, and was a double 
number three ridgling, and this weather is so bad, 
I think I will have him insured at one hundred 
dollars." His brother said, "My colt has the 
same disease, and I believe it will be best to be on 
the safe side, if it does cost ten dollars more;" 
and both took my insurance policy for one hundred 
dollars each, and paid me the extra money. If the 
other owner had been present instead of the groom, 
I think I should have had to make out, unwillingly, 
another policy. My circulars for the past eighteen 
years have said: " I will insure all ridglings that 
I get the first cut on, for ten per cent, extra, upon 
the value of the horse, the owners to decide which 
they prefer after they see the work done." At 



52 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

this particular time, in the mud, rain, etc., I sort of 
had the blues, something I am not subject to, and 
I would have preferred paying the ten per cent, 
not to take the risk, as these horses had the dis- 
temper, and were obliged to go several miles in a 
hard rain and deep mud ; and, from general appear- 
ances, I feared would have poor stables and atten- 
tion at home. But my circulars in our correspond- 
ence made the offer, and I felt honor bound to 
make my word good without complaint. Luckily 
for me, however, all three did well, and I received 
a very complimentary letter in two weeks saying, 
"Our horses are all well, and did not appear to 
mind the operation at all." 

ANOTHER MISTAKE. 

I would like to tell you how I lost my handker- 
chief. I was called to alter a number three ridgling 
at Terre Haute, Ind. I got him down and tied. 
I then made an incision through the peritoneum. 
Just then he struggled, and I made the rupture 
much too large, and the bowels came down. I put 
them back again and again, and finally got the seed 
out and the bowels in. But they would not stay, 
so I asked a boy to give me my handkerchief from 
my overcoat on the fence. I took it and crammed 
it high up in the inguinal canal, and let the horse 
up, and down came his bowels again. I caught 
them, and with little difficulty replaced them once 
more while standing, but forgot the handkerchief. 
I soon missed it, however, and supposed I now had 
a new and desperate case on hand, but I had no 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 53 

trouble while standing to lift his hind foot and set it 
on my knee, and then gently insert my hand to the 
rupture and my fingers inside, and there found and 
got the handkerchief. That colt worked every day 
and did well, but I did not tell any one for several 
years of my loss. I now tell you, so that you may 
be more careful ; for should such an accident hap- 
pen you, it may be of service to you to know how 
others have done when cornered. 

I have now about one hundred pupils upon the 
royalty plan, for ten years' time, and I tell them all 
never to be afraid of blood or bowels, for there is a 
way to manage them with safety. You can take 
up and tie almost any blood-vessel, or open a horse 
and take out and look at his bowels and safely put 
them in, and have him live and do well. 

There are a number of bitches in this town that 
I have spayed, removing ovaries, womb, pups and 
all, that lived and did well. There is a dog here 
now that never was born ; and his mother is here 
and well, also. The pelvis bones would not open, 
and, after one day in labor, I opened the belly and 
the womb and took him out, and in four months 
after spayed the mother, at the same opening, and 
found the womb grown in the cicatrix, 

I never found the mare or cow I could not deliver 
successfully. 

I was called by Jack Pierce, my friend, to alter 
three ridglings, about forty miles from here. The 
first one had been cut into, without success, twice be- 
fore, and was healed up tightly, and was hard and 
calloused in the groin. This horse was badly 
stringhalted at that time on that side. By chance 



54 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

that horse was cast first, and with much trouble cas- 
trated. 

The second was cast and partly tied, when upon 
looking around I saw the bowels of the first one 
hanging out. I asked some man to hold them up 
until the second horse was castrated, so we could 
have the ropes to use, but the horse was restless 
and the man timid, and he would let go. So the 
bowels came on down nearly to his hocks, and we 
let the half tied horse up, and cast number one 
with the four hopples and back rope, and soon re- 
placed the bowels. I then castrated the second 
and third ridgling. I then saw the bowels hanging 
out again. We cast number one the third time^ 
and I took a stitch, as I supposed, around the in- 
guinal passage and left for the train. When I had 
gotten a quarter of a mile away I heard a call, and, 
looking back, knew by their gestures that some- 
thing was wrong. I returned at once and found 
a bucket full of bowels out and the horse down in 
the dogfennel and weeds and quite sick. We put 
the ropes upon this one the fourth time ; next 
picked the dogfennel off, oiled the bowels. I then 
slipped my hand into the inguinal passage up to 
the ring ; then grasped the bowels and put them 
back through the rupture by lifting one inch at a 
time, when the horse was on his side and the rup- 
ture up. I then split into the inguinal channel as 
high as I could conveniently, about half way up to 
the ring, up and down, three inches long, so I 
could then see where to put my needle, still above 
my last cut, so as to close the suture around the 
channel above. That horse made a good recovery^ 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 55 

but Strange to say, he was never seen to show 
stringhalt afterward and soon sold for a good price, 
I forgot to speak of one ridghng I castrated in 
Kentucky. He had been unsuccessfully operated 
upon repeatedly on both sides, and was hard and 
calloused in the groin. I spayed him (the only one 
I ever did that way) in the right side, as we do 
cows in the left side. He got his pint and a half of 
linseed oil twenty-four hours previously, and twelve 
of my one-drachm doses of castrating tincture 
promptly afterward, and the antiseptics were used 
freely. He did well in recovering. 

SOME OF MY MISTAKES ON DOGS. 

I spayed an eight-months-old pup, and by mis- 
take got one ureter instead of one horn of the 
uterus, and it broke off near the kidney. Then, 
for experiment, I cut it off near the bladder, and 
then spayed her. She was helpless for several 
days after, and filled up, seemingly with water. 
She broke at the incision several times, and the 
water ran out, but she finally got well. 

I spayed a four-weeks-old pup, and made the 
same mistake, and it lived. But the nicest job I 
ever did in spaying was on three three-months-old 
pups. The second one was spayed in five minutes, 
without one drop of blood. I was proud, if I must 
admit it, of my skill. The owner was pleased that 
the pup took it so kindly ; it made no move while 
I was spaying it. or ever afterward, but it was not 
choked to death, which there is danger of doing. 
The same man wanted some pups' tails cut oft. I 



56 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

put the tails in the ecraseur, and pinched them off. 
That works Hke a charm. Trv it, Mr. V. S. 



HORSES TAILS. 

I am often called to straighten horses' tails. My 
preference is to cast the horse with my four hopples 
and back-rope, and use my castrating knife with 
No. 4 blade, the small blade on my castrating and 
spaying knife, as shown on page tij 

To cut the upper cord or muscle in two, in one, two 
or three places, according to how much it crooks, 
avoiding the joints. I aim to cut so the tail will go 
straight and a little over to the other side, for in 
healing it will settle back a little. 1 put my blade 
in half an inch below the hair, sideways, and bury 
all the cutting edge beyond the skin well ; then 
turn the edge up and cut all the top muscle in two 
up to the skin. Then turn the knife over and cut 
down to the tail bone to make sure of all the cord 
while the muscle is tight. By bending the tail from 
you, no after treatment is necessary. I like this 
better than to only make one cut, and tie the tail 
around to the opposite side for one week or longer. 

I am often called to do something for fistula on 
horses. In the first stage, when filled with serum, 
I think half turpentine and half fish oil liniment, 
applied daily for a week, will drive it away by 
absorption soon after application ; but all cases with 
pus in them should be opened well, and the open- 
ings filled to the bottom of each pipe with lumps 
of bluestone for five days — lumps, not powder, as 
the latter floats out, but the lumps remain in. After 



AND AFTF.R TREATMENT. 57 

five days, generally, the sack or pipes can be drawn 
out. Then fill all openings with salaratus for two 
or three days. If the pipes will not pull out then, 
repeat the bluestone four days longer. After the 
salaratus has been in two or three days I like to 
cut well on each side over the pockets, so as to get 
my hand, or fingers at least, to the bottom of all 
pipes, and fill them all full of absorbent cotton, 
which should be removed daily and the sores washed 
with tepid salaratus water and refilled with absorbent 
cotton. If the cotton is inclined to come out, a 
stitch may be taken across the incisions to hold it 
in. Large openings at the top are best, and should 
be kept well open until the bottom heals up. If 
diseased bone is found, as the vertebrae sometimes 
are, the dead bone should be cut out with bone for- 
ceps. Sometimes such fistula cuttings bleed freely, 
but I never knew one to bleed over two gallons, 
and I think frequent blood letting good in fistula. 
The worst case of fistula I ever saw I tapped in the 
middle of the neck, and took out four gallons ot 
thick pus and dead tissue. There was no enlarge- 
ment in the withers, and it had never broken or 
run. The whole neck seemed double the natural 
size. 

I had a similar case about half as large, filled 
with serum only, which got well in a short time by 
being kept open well while running out on pasture. 

DEHORNING. 

I never met a farmer who knew nothing about de- 
horning but objected to such cruelty. "l also never 
knew one who had had twenty cattle dehorned but 



58 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

was in favor of it always afterward. I am most decid- 
edly. I think it a great prevention of cruelty to 
animals. The best way is to blister the horns oft 
of the little calves with the strongest blister you 
have. I think any strong blister will kill the horns, 
especially one drop of the oil of mustard on each 
horn ; but after the horn is one inch long, here 
horn forceps are used to take them out with. Year- 
lings and all older cattle are best dehorned with a 
small bone saw, such as butchers use. Specialists, 
as dehorners here, make a frame to load in a wagon 
and haul around the country and will stop at the 
barn door or gate and dehorn all your cattle for 
ten cents each, and they saw down into the head 
so as to have a ring (a quarter of an inch) of skin 
left on each horn, which is the best way and the 
right place. I think in a few years more, in this 
country, horns on cattle will not be seen at all for 
none die from dehorning and the cost is so slight. 
They feed, handle and ship better, as well as sell 
better, without horns. Try it and be convinced. 



PRICES. 



In the Western and Middle States the common 
price for ordinary castration is generally one dollar 
per head, in small lots, but for yearling mules and 
colts in large droves, twenty-five cents each is a 
common price — that is for seventy-five or one hun- 
dred in a place. In the Eastern States the price is 
generally double what it is in the Western, that is, 
where ther^ are not so many in a place to alter. 
Where there is but one or two in a place, the price 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 59' 

is five dollars each, East, if well-bred stock. Three- 
fourths of them are now cast and clamped ; many 
years ago standing was as common as casting. I 
think casting the best way, and do that entirely of 
late years, but have altered nearly one thousand 
standing. I never did but one ridgling standing, 
and will never try another that way. I suppose I 
get better prices than any castrater ever did, or 
ever will again, as my trips are so lengthy, but my 
pupils will soon divide that practice up, and none 
have such long trips or heavy expenses to reach 
their patrons. I castrate in the East a few year- 
lings in bunches at five dollars each ; where there 
are but two or three at a place, ten dollars each ; 
ridglings, four or more in a place, twenty dollars 
each ; for one only, more is charged, according to 
time taken and railroad expenses. 

Two years ago, W. L. Scott, of Erie, Pa., wanted 
me to alter five yearling colts — all plain work, I 
did them nicely as I could, when he asked what my 
charges were. I told him ten dollars each — he ob- 
jected to the price and paid me fifteen dollars each. 
Last year I altered eleven plain colts for him, and 
charged one hundred and ten dollars. He objected 
again, and paid me one hundred and twenty-five 
dollars. Let me further say, one of his first five 
colts ("Chaos") won for Mr. Scott, as a two-year- 
old, seventy-five thousand dollars as a race horse — 
in five races. 

While in Tennessee, Nov., 1887, I received a 
letter saying, " Farmer Miles, when can you come 
to Saratoga and alter four plain colts? J. B. 
Dyer." I answered, " I can go to Saratoga, N. Y., 



60 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

and alter four plain colts nicely, Dec, 10, for sev- 
ty-five dollars, if answered soon, saying come." 
In three days I received a telegram saying, 
"Farmer Miles, your seventy-five dollar rates are 
satisfactory. Come Dec. 10." I went and got his 
seventy-five dollars, and his thanks, also. 

Dec. 20, 1888, I was again called to castrate 
seven plain colts for J. B. Dyer, and did so, charg- 
ing him one hundred and fifty dollars. This you 
may think a big price, but Mr. Dyer seemed 
satisfied. 

In June, 1888, I was paid sixty-five dollars to 
alter one ridgling colt for Mr. E. Thorne, of Hen- 
derson, N. C. 

In August, 1888, I was paid seventy-five dollars 
to alter one double number three ridgling horse 
for T. Dudley, Topeka, Kan. 

The best I ever did was to alter six ridglings 
and two plain yearlings, at Bangor, Me., for one 
hundred and sixty dollars, one afternoon, all easy 
work, and a pleasant crowd, and plenty of sweet 
cider to drink. The most I was ever paid for one 
operation, was eighty-five dollars, on a ruptured, 
heavy stallion, near Pittsburg, Pa. 

The most difficult operation I ever did on a fine 
bull, was for rupture of the scrotum on one side, 
in Chicago. One State veterinary had tried to 
return the bowels with his hand in the rectum and 
the bull on his back one hour, and failed to return 
them, two weeks before I was called. I split the 
bag, tunic, and all, and found adhesion of the 
bowels all around in the tunic, which was very, 
large and hard. I broke down the adhesion and 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 61 

then replaced them. Also put the testicle on that 
side in, rather than remove it, and sewed all up, 
with antiseptic, in which Dr. Withers, V. S., of the 
Veterinary College of Chicago, kindly assisted me. 

The most surgery I ever did in one day with five 
helpers and only one set of ropes, was to spay two 
hundred and five large, wild cows for J. W. IlifT, of 
Denver, Colo., and I climbed a small pole about 
twenty-five times, besides, when I was tired. I 
presume you would like to know what pole climb- 
ing had to do in spaying cattle ? It saved my life 
many times. It is very easy to do when a fellow 
knows the cow is very mad, and comes at him 
double quick, with such long horns, out on the 
plains, thirty miles from any tree or house. I some- 
times feel I could climb two at a time, or any other 
way to get out of their reach. Each helper also 
had a pole planted near him, to climb when neces- 
sary. Mr. Iliff had fifty-five thousand head, and ali- 
as wild as buffaloes. 

The most large horses I ever altered in one day 
was sixty-six head for Lux & Miller, of San Fran- 
cisco, Cal., on a farm fourteen miles wide on an 
average, and over fifty miles long. I also spayed 
a few cattle for them, out of their eighty thousand 
head, and other stock in proportion. From there 
I went to Pettaloma, Colo., and offered to castrate 
the ''man-eater" free of charge (it was an imported 
Norman stallion seventeen hands higrh, that had 
killed several men), but he was kept as a show 
then, and I failed to get the job; but a month later 
he was shot seven times and killed, while he had 
his keeper. Prof. Tapp, down trying to kill him. 



'62 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

I felt proud to cast a very vicious ridgling horse 
for Mr. Case, in the Veterinary College, London, 
Eng., and castrated him in good order, before a 
large crowd of veterinaries there, who always 
treated me as kindly as if I was a veterinary my- 
self, with a large diploma. 

J have castrated in the veterinary colleges of 
Paris, France ; London, Eng.; Glasgow, Scotland; 
Montreal, Canada ; Boston, Mass.; Chicago, 111., 
and in other cities too numerous to mention. I have 
spayed cows for the State of Pennsylvania, and 
have castrated colts for the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- 
road Company, two of the richest firms any cas- 
trater ever worked for. 

I felt pleased to be permitted by George Flem- 
ing, F. M. R. C. V. S., to alter one of Queen Vic- 
toria's Life Guard horses, free of charge, at St. 
John's Wood Barracks, London, before several of 
England's best veterinarians. He was a black, 
bob-tailed number three ridgling. I did him in 
good time and order, and did not draw ten drops 
of blood. The horse was sound and well twelve 
days after, which proved that the work was well 
and properly done. 

I went to England in September of 1878, to 
spend three or four weeks only, and found it so 
pleasant that I remained there one year. I have 
most kind remembrances of the treatment I re- 
ceived while in England and Ireland by the veter- 
inary surgeons there, and of their universal kind 
treatment and hospitality. Where I expected rival- 
ry and competition, I found all helps and kind treat- 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. G3 

nient. I now wear a gold watch — a timer — pre- 
sented to me at Drawhada, Ireland, and inscribed 
thereon as follows : " Presented to Father Miles 
by Messrs. Drummond and Jones, Veterinary Sur- 
geons, in testimony of his ability as an operator 
upon horses when in Ireland in May, A. D. 1879." 

I was also presented with the following, upon 
parchment, which I call my English diploma : 

" We, the undersigned veterinary surgeons, 
practicing in the county of Lincoln, having wit- 
nessed Mr, T. C. Miles' operations upon ridgling 
horses, desire to bear witness to the humane, scien- 
tific and perfectly satisfactory manner in which he 
attains his object. We also wish to express our 
approval of his method of casting and securing the 
animal, and of the instruments he uses in the per- 
formance of the operation." 

This was signed by fifteen of the best veterinarians 
in Central England, and sent to me most unexpect- 
edly after my return home to Illinois, and for which, 
both watch and diploma, I have often felt that it would 
be a great pleasure to me if I could again meet those 
gentlemen and say, "Thank you, thank you," 
several times to each one for the gratification and 
pleasure you gave me. 

The pictures in this book are of a horse bought 
for the purpose of operating upon, and for giving 
some final instructions to a class of pupils. He 
was a double No. 3 ridgling. He was first cast 
and tied as herein represented, and held upon the 
ground, while twenty-four hands were inserted in 
my cuts up to the bowels, for three minutes to each 



€4 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 

pupil, while examining the parts, as I progressed 
in his castration. Of course he was as mercifully 
treated as possible, and with clean hands, well 
oiled. Still he was kept tied down for more than 
an hour. However, he did well, and I considered 
him sound and well the twelfth day after, with no 
swelling of the sheath, as is common in castration 
in that time, and was used daily while recov- 
ering. He was not given the pint and a half of lin- 
seed oil previously, as recommended, but was given 
drachm doses of the castrating tincture promptly, 
and was well opened twice a day for five days five 
inches up in the groin on each side, and was trotted 
around in our operating house twenty minutes after 
each opening of the cuts, and I now think all opera- 
tors on ridglings can safely and well perform all such 
castrations, if they will strictly follow the contents 
of this little book. I do not think any man will 
fully understand these instructions by once reading 
them, but it will be best to read them, short as 
they are, until all are familiar ; then put in practice 
all tieing and rope work, until all is easy to do,, 
before the commencement of surgery. 1 feel sure 
you will never regret the time lost in so doing. 
There is money in it, and more sport and pleasure 
in it than gunning where the game is plenty. My 
pupils all declare there is nothing called business 
so pleasant as to meet a crowd of gentlemen with 
four or five ridglings to alter, and be able to nicely 
cast, and tie, and castrate them in One hour, to the 
satisfaction of all present, and then be paid one 
hundred dollars cash in hand, and complimented for 



AND AFTER TREATMENT. 65 

their success. I have experienced this sensation 
many times in Hfe, and I also testify that it is 
pleasant. Try it a few times. I think you will 
like it more and more. 

Believing I have given all of the necessary in- 
formation upon this subject, I "wish, before closing, 
to say to all readers of this little book, as I gen- 
erally say to the crowds of friendly spectators that 
collect at the various places where I am called to 
operate, and to those who help me in my work, 
that surgery, whether upon man or beast, should 
always be humane. We should always remember 
that a horse is one of man's nearest and best 
friends and helpmates below his own race ; that 
God has given him to man to serve and obey ; to 
be patient and kind to man. In return we should 
remember that in sickness and health we should 
care for this animal with a kindly heart and the 
greatest sympathy. While he trusts man we hope 
that man will not betray the confidence the noble 
brute places in him, and in all kinds of surgical 
operations it has been one of my highest aims and 
ambitions to do the work skillfully and quickly, and 
to cause as little pain as is possible with success. 
We must remember that the poor creature is bound 
and held at our mercy ; that he, too, has nerves, suf- 
fers pain and is entitled to all human kindness ; and 
I believe there is no greater crime in the annals ot 
inhumanity than the torture or recklessness which 
may produce pain and suffering in this noble animal. 
And I do hope and trust that all who may try to fol- 
low my footsteps in the surgical part of this work 



66 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 

will also keep ever in mind that pain is severe ; that 
animals suffer but can not speak or even cry to tell 
us of their pain and sorrow. Never keep an ani- 
mal fettered or bound a moment longer than is nec- 
essary. Never produce pain that can be avoided. 
In other words, always follow the golden rule in 
your dealings with your best friend in the animal 
kingdom. 

Finally, good-by. God bless you all. Live right 
and easy, and let us all try to meet in heaven. I 
believe in God the Father, God the Son and God 
the Spirit, three in one. I believe as old Paul said 
to the Athenians, the time of this ignorance God 
winked at, but now commands all men everywhere 
to repent. I think good works are good fruits for 
believers to bear; but that Jesus Christ is the only 
Savior of sinners, and that on the conditions that 
we trust Him and try to obey Him. 

Yours truly, 

FARMER T. C. MILES. 

Charleston, Illinois, U. S. A. 




